Hangyaku no Zero
by insertappropropriatenamehere
Summary: DISCONTINUED A year after the execution of Zero, the Japanese are losing hope once again. The remnants of the Black Knights search for their lost leader but are foiled again and again. In the midst of the chaos, a masked assassin appears. Where is Zero?
1. Chapter 1

AN: Alternate retelling of R2, since I personally think Charles and V.V. could have done better than stick Lelouch back in an environment where he went rogue the first time.

Summary: A year after the execution of Zero, the Japanese people are losing hope once again. The remnants of the Black Knights search for their lost leader, but are foiled by Britannia again and again. In the midst of the chaos, a masked assassin appears, using cunning and deceit to fulfill his missions. Where is Zero?

Disclaimer: The day I own Code Geass is the day F.L.E.I.A becomes a nuke. Ain't gonna happen.

XxXxX

Chapter 1: Kuro no Kishidan

XxXxX

Stadtfeld-Kouzuki Kallen snarled as the Guren barely dodged a falling crate. The dockyard hadn't been as abandoned as the Black Knights had thought it had been; a small force of Britannian Knightmares had been waiting for them. Among the six blue-painted Sutherlands had been another, black one.

"Pull back, Kallen!" Urabe screamed as another one of their own forcefully ejected as his Knightmare exploded.

"Check out the black Sutherland!" Kallen screamed back. "I think it's the leader!"

"What black Sutherland?" Toudou asked urgently. I don't see one- holy!" There was a soft fizz-crackle as his radio broke down.

As the remaining units retrieved their comrades and wheeled back to their base, Kallen couldn't but hold the feeling they should have destroyed the black Sutherland.

XxXxX

"It's been over a year since he vanished," Toudou snarled. "If it's true and Britannia captured him, then-"

"It can't be!" Tamaki exclaimed. "I refuse to believe that! Zero isn't like that!"

"You saw his face," Ohgi said. "What does he look like? Who is he?"

Kallen looked at them. "Well," she began. "I'm not sure if you'll believe this, but he's a Britannian."

"He betrayed us," Asahina said simply.

Kallen shook her head. "No," she said simply. "Why would he? Of all Britannians, he is probably the least likely to do so. As Kirihara-san said, his hatred for Britannia is real. Was real."

"That still doesn't tell us who he is," Toudou commented.

Kallen looked up. "I only found out on Kaminejima, when he and that Kururugi Suzaku were fighting. I don't know the end of that fight, only that Kururugi was promoted, so it seems likely that Zero is dead."

"Stop beating around the bush," Chiba scolded. "We need to know who he is."

Kallen sighed, pulling out a folder of a person who had called himself her friend. "This is him."

"Lelouch- Lelouch _vi Britannia?!_" At Toudou's shout, the central command of the Black Knights (what was left of it) erupted into shouts.

"I knew we couldn't trust him!" Chiba snapped, banging her fists on the table.

"There was something wrong with him!" Senba agreed.

Sumeragi Kaguya squeaked nervously, looking down, before sniffling in quiet misery.

"How could you?!" Tamaki howled.

Rakshata simply snorted derisively, although whether that was towards Tamaki or Lelouch, Kallen couldn't tell.

Finally, she had had enough. "SHUT UP!" she bellowed.

There was silence.

"Before we shift the blame, we must realize that not all Britannians are egotistical pigs," she began quickly. "If you read his file, you'll understand-"

"Kallen, there is no file," Rakshata pointed out calmly.

"WHAT?! Anyways, if he had wanted to turn us in, he could have done it before we riled up the Japanese- he had plenty of opportunity! Look at Narita!"

"We lost," Chiba coughed.

"Well, he organized us- without him, we wouldn't have made half the impact we already have!" Kallen continued. "Even if we don't need him- which we do, for strategy if nothing else- we should find him. Is this how we repay the one who led us here?"

There was silence.

"Moving on to more _pertinent_ matters," Kallen continued. "We have to oppose the Britannian government. There are rumors that they've created a superassassin. This is our main problem, not Zero. I haven't even seen Lelouch since Kaminejima, so I doubt we'll suddenly find him in the middle of nowhere. No matter who they think they are, we must stop them!"

"Kallen is right," Ohgi continued into the silence. "We must stop them, one way or another. Any ideas?"

"We find Zero," Toudou muttered. "He would know."

"We're nothing without him," Rakshata admitted, twirling her pipe. Most of the members present shot her dark looks.

"This is just too depressing," Chiba sighed. "Our next strike should be at our dear new governor- Princess Nunnally vi Britannia. Wait, wouldn't that make her Zero's sister?"

"Yes," Kallen sighed. "She is, but that's not important. She's publicly announced that she's searching for her brother, remember?"

"How could I not?" Toudou mused. "It caused such a stir in the Britannian court."

"Now, about that black Sutherland," Rakshata announced. "It's almost certainly a custom Knightmare, or at least a prototype for one. That means the person in it was probably either an elite fighter or really important. However, considering the way the other Knightmares ignored it despite the fact that it was very obviously activated-"

"It was watching us," Toudou explained.

"Does this mean that the Britannians have a new Knight of Rounds candidate?" Ohgi snarled.

"We would have heard something about that by now," Urabe pointed out. "On the other hand, we're now seriously short some funds."

As the meeting turned to issues of funding, something Kallen was patently uninterested in except in cases where it affected her Guren, she found herself zoning out and considering her actions of a year and a half ago.

XxXxX

_1.5 yrs ago (flashback) _

_Suzaku stared down at the Geassed, unmoving form of his friend and enemy, feeling oddly calm considering the situation. _

"_Wait, brother," a child's voice echoed from the recesses of the enormous building. "I believe I have better use of him. His Geass is strong." _

_Charles di Britannia looked to his left. "V.V." _

"_What of it?" V.V. asked. "He'll even be alive at the end. And he'll be able to end the issues in Area 11 better than if we simply decommissioned him." _

_Suzaku didn't like where the conversation was going. He shifted, and the tiny sound of cloth on cloth caught both royals' attentions. _

"_You are dismissed," the Emperor announced. "Leave the traitor here." _

_As soon as he had left the building, the implications of what he had done hit him hard. _

"_I betrayed him," he murmured. "No- he killed Euphie." What he thought didn't matter, since he never saw Lelouch again. _

_(end flashback) _

XxXxX

"Hello, onii-sama," Rolo said, opening the door. Like his 'older brother', he wore a black eyepatch, his over his right eye. "Or should I say, _kuro no oji-sama_."

The older figure stared blankly at him over the half-mask of his rebreather. That, combined with the eyepatch over his left eye and his helmet, which visor was currently flipped up, made him appear to be some kind of Japanese ninja. Rolo knew nothing could be farther from the truth.

"Don't just stand there," he scolded, eyeing the metal collar around the other's neck. "I know you can't speak, but that doesn't mean you have to act like a complete idiot, Rai."

The masked figure known as Rai snorted, entering the small room and beginning to divest himself of all equipment.

"How were the Black Knights? Are they still as good as they used to be?"

Shrug.

"Oh, that sucks. Well, it's less work for us, I suppose."

Blink.

"Hey, the sooner we finish, the sooner we can return to the Geass Directorate. Remember that one time we got lost for two weeks because they moved without us?"

Stare.

"I know it wasn't your fault, Rei. Take that mask off; when we go to dinner, I'd rather we not stand out too much. Besides, food clogs up the tubes, remember?"

Pull off rebreather and fling.

"I get it, I get it! Have you seen my knife?"

Point.

"Thanks, onii-sama." Rolo shoved the knife into its holster strapped to his lower back and made sure his pocket knife (which wasn't really a pocket knife) was still in his pocket. "Come on, you ice cube."

The Britannian military's cafeteria was as boisterous as ever, but the men, who wore uniforms from the red of the Special Forces to the blue of the infantry to the special suits of the Knightmare pilots, all avoided the duo. It was always best to avoid people who would have no qualms about stabbing one in his sleep.

That didn't stop the whispers, however. As usual, Rolo ignored them, but Rai listened surreptitiously.

"-who does he think he is?-"

"I heard he used to be a Prince-"

"-hmph, vainglorious bastard-"

"What's with those eyepatches?"

"-I heard they can take control of your mind!-"

"-purple eyes-"

Rai tuned them out as he continued eating. Even if he had once been the child of royalty, it no longer mattered. Only the mission did.

Both assassins were alerted by the sudden cessation of noise in the room. Rai dropped his spoon quietly and Rolo set down his cup of some kind of liquid that was supposed to be fruit juice.

"V.V.-sama," Rolo intoned, he and Rai dropping down on one knee and saluting, fist over heart.

"Second Prince Schneizel el Britannia will be visiting in a week," V.V. said. "During that time, you two and two of the Knights of Rounds will be under his jurisdiction. During that time, follow his orders as you would follow mine, except for one thing. Rai, do not take off your helmet in the presence of another. Understood?"

A single amethyst eye stared up from the kneeling position before bobbing downward in a nod.

"Good." V.V. swept out of the room, and all several hundred-odd men released a collective breath. The two Geass Directorate pawns resumed eating.

XxXxX

Kallen stared through her scope as she concentrated on Schneizel el Britannia's head. The man boarded the Avalon, which was promptly surrounded by four enormous Knightmares. She heard Toudou curse over the intercom as he recognized two of them as the Galahad and the Tristan. Of the other two, Rakshata had identified one as a 'Vincent prototype', and the other had merely been dubbed 'Shinkiro' because it was so hard to find at nighttime.

"Ready?" Ohgi whispered into the headset. Kallen adjusted the Guren's cannon so that her target was aimed at the center of the black Sutherland. She fired.

Down on the tarmac, the reporters, dignitaries, and watching citizenry yelped and ran for cover as the Knightmare's cockpit ejected and the machine exploded. One Diethard Ried fiddled with the zoom on his camera, catching a perfect close-up of a figure sheathed in black. The helmet turned, and a bullet efficiently cut off his camera's ability to record.

The other three Knightmares moved into action; they had been equipped with float devices. Kallen noted that the Sutherland had not as she engaged with the Knightmare known as the 'Tristan'.

In the ensuing chaos, no one noticed the assassin board the Avalon calmly.

XxXxX

Schneizel el Britannia stared at the two assassins in front of him. One looked anorexic and the other appeared to be a child. Behind him, Kanon Maldini sighed.

"Well, if Father sent you then I suppose I'll have to put up with you." The helmeted figure tilted his head, and Schneizel wondered briefly whether the person inside were stupid.

"Onii-sama?" the shorter figure looked up and sighed when the helmeted figure made a short, abbreviated nod.

Schneizel narrowed his eyes; the helmeted one was the brains of the group. _'What does Father want with me now? Did he send the assassins after me?'_

The first thing he had to do was ascertain the helmeted one's identity. From there, he could plot.

XxXxX

In a room in the Aries Imperial Villa in Pendragon, V.V. looked up at Charles; the immortal had just returned from the newly-dubbed Area 11.

"Everything is going as planned," he announced.

"As it should," Charles di Britannia murmured. "After all, _his _plans never fail- do they?"

"Recorded," the Knight of Six announced. The Knight of Seven looked highly uncomfortable, shooting the last person in the room an unreadable glance.

Said figure raised an eyebrow and looked back mockingly.

Tsuzuku

XxXxX

AN: Yay for complicated plans, although I already gave enough clues about this one. It shouldn't be hard to figure out; I think it's been used before.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Looking back, last chapter could have been written better. Much better. But after this will be a mini-hiatus for about two weeks so I can finish my college apps and my projects. I hate them. This chapter focuses more on Suzaku, because this fic is going to end up being majorly AU.

Summary: A year after the execution of Zero, the Japanese people are losing hope once again. The remnants of the Black Knights search for their lost leader, but are foiled by Britannia again and again. In the midst of the chaos, a masked assassin appears, using cunning and deceit to fulfill his missions. Where is Zero?

Chapter Summary: The plot thickens.

Disclaimer: I am neither Japanese nor an adult. Therefore, I am out of the running for candidates who possibly own Code Geass. That also means this story won't have any pairings.

XxXxX

Chapter 2: Knight of Rounds

XxXxX

_The ends do not justify the means. _

_-Kururugi Suzaku, Knight of Seven_

XxXxX

"The Britannians are taunting us," Tamaki snarled. "Who does that man in black think he is- Zero?!"

There was an instant silence. "Oh, my god," Kallen moaned. "I can't believe it!"

"They brainwashed him," Rakshata suggested.

The door slammed open and Asahina ran in. "Turn on the television!" he screamed, doubling over and gasping for breath. His glasses slipped down his nose from the sheen of sweat covering his skin.

Ohgi dove for the remote and clicked it on just as the reporter began speaking.

"-breaking news. His Imperial Majesty, Charles zi Britannia, has announced that there will be a new addition to the Knights of Rounds. A confidential source has revealed that this new Knight will be the Knight of Eleven, and that his new posting will be in Area Eleven, along with the Knight of Seven. The Knight of One and The Knight of Three will return to the motherland. Now, the identity of this new Knight of Rounds remains confidential, but it is said that he will reveal himself in a few weeks-"

"Where do those bastards find themselves so many pilots of that caliber?" Ohgi snarled. "We need to reorganize."

"How?" Toudou asked rhetorically. "We're not exactly popular right now. And we can't exactly just go recruiting."

"Zero," Kallen said. "He's a symbol, right? All we need to do is take a victory under his name, and then we'll have all the support we need."

"A comeback, then?" Chiba asked, drumming her fingers on the tabletop. "That sounds good, but how?"

"The same way Zero did, of course," Kallen smirked. "We plan."

XxXxX

Schneizel stared at Rai. Behind his mask, Rai stared back at Schneizel. From beside Rai, Rolo stared at Schneizel as well.

Earl Kanon Maldini sighed and went on break. After that he could get in some Knightmare practice, as well, and maybe spend some time boosting morale with the troops-

"Stay, Kanon." There went his plans. Sighing, Kanon pulled himself back to attention and began staring at Rolo. Just to relieve the tension, he told himself. Just to relieve the tension.

Yeah, right.

"Is it a coincidence that your name means 'Zero' in Japanese?" Schneizel asked.

Rai tilted his head. "No," Rolo interjected.

"Are you Zero?"

"He is not. He is my comrade and has been for the past three years," Rolo interjected. "He's also mute due to an unfortunate accident."

Rai made a soft snickering noise, as if the entire exchange amused him.

"Then about that collar-"

"It's a secret," Rolo said, looking innocent. "It's because of _his_ orders."

"My father's?" Schneizel asked, confused.

"No." Rolo smiled sweetly. "_His_ orders."

XxXxX

"We need to take out those two assassins in black," Kallen snapped. "They'll keep interrupting our plans!"

"How? We hardly have the superior firepower here," Toudou said dismissively. "We're in a quandary here."

"Were Zero here-" Tamaki began, only to be cut off.

"He betrayed us," Asahina said softly. "He left us during the Black Rebellion."

"Without him we would have been nothing," Urabe replied, equally soft.

"Let's get on with the future," Ohgi interrupted, looking stressed. "He gave us a start. Now we must finish it- without him."

"First order; we need to find another strategist," Rakshata said. "Diethard?"

"We ally with the Chinese Federation," the reporter announced, holding up his hand to stall accusations. "They have the resources and manpower needed, and I have already been in contact with a faction that advocates the overthrow of the High Eunuchs. They have a very high chance of succeeding, and are in league with the Empress herself." Diethard did not mention that the Empress was a puppet; there was no need to give his fellow Black Knights information they already knew or guessed at.

"However," Diethard took a new tack. "It has been confirmed that the Emperor will present his new Knight of Eleven to the world in two weeks at the imperial city Pendragon. In twelve days, most of the Britannian High Command will be gone, including most of the troops, our favorite assassins in black, and the two Knights of Rounds, for a week to celebrate their new companion. You should attack then."

"Thank you for your information," Ohgi said, pulling up a tactical map of Tokyo and the surrounding areas on one of their screens. "This is what the Britannian troop deployments are now. Diethard just sent us a map of what they should be like in twelve days."

Most of the colorful dots and triangles vanished.

"A skeleton staff," Toudou whispered. "We could free our comrades during this time."

"That would be a plan," Chiba agreed.

"Finally, something!" Tamaki cheered.

"Stop getting our Knightmare Frames destroyed," Kallen deadpanned. "_Then_ we'll have something."

"Hey, I'm not that bad!" Tamaki protested.

There was a very awkward silence in the room for about twenty seconds before Tamaki sighed and gave up.

"Never mind."

XxXxX

"They took the bait," Charles di Britannia said, amazed.

"_He_ is good," V.V. admitted. "Aren't you glad we modified your son's memories the way we did this way? Now, Ragnarok can continue- ah, Suzaku!"

"Milord," Suzaku said warily. "What is _he_ doing? Why are you even listening to him? Is this the power of the Geass?!"

"Yes," V.V. said simply.

Suzaku's mind wandered back to a certain day in the Shinjuku ghetto. "Then I would like to bind a contract," he said simply.

"You want Geass?" Charles di Britannia boomed, laughing. "You, of all people?"

"He is a qualified candidate," V.V. mused.

"You cannot be suggesting this!" Charles frowned.

"I am," V.V. said serenely. "Let us consider this; if you can eradicate the terrorists in Area 11, then not only will you be promoted, but I will also bind a contract with you."

"That is acceptable," Charles said, fixing a stare at the half-Japanese.

"Alright," Suzaku said, his heart sinking. Somehow, he could feel that this wasn't a good idea, but he would need it.

"So you can become Knight of One," V.V. said, smiling brightly. "And then take over Area 11 and make it a protectorate, am I right?"

Suzaku stared in shock at the child-like immortal. "You knew?" he whispered.

V.V. smiled. "It's what I would do. You do realize that most people won't thank you for it, right? Only those with nothing to lose will rebel, and the Elevens are people who will constantly chafe at their servitude after having been a superpower until eight years ago."

"It's better than nothing," Suzaku argued stubbornly.

"Even betraying the Elevens' best hope for freedom?" Charles asked. "There was a decent chance for Zero and the Black Knights to win the Black Rebellion until you captured their leader."

"Was there?" Suzaku countered. "Britannia would just have invaded again."

"But not for at least a generation," V.V. said. "We try not to make mistakes involving losing battles."

"At least there's peace," Suzaku argued desperately.

"You call massacring your people peace?" a fourth voice mocked. Suzaku turned.

"It's you," he snarled.

"I'm me," the figure agreed. "Who else would I be?"

V.V.'s cell phone rang. "Hello?"

"Yes."

"Yes, alright. I give my permission. You two can return with the Knights of Rounds."

"Yes, let them retrieve their people. It's all part of _his_ plan."

"No, I have not lost my mind, and I am not faking _his_ orders. We all know he is an incredible strategist, perhaps the best in the Empire."

"He's standing in the room with me."

"Alright. Sign out."

"Rolo and Rai?" the newcomer asked. "I do hope they're doing well, the 'assassin' and the 'black prince'."

"Rolo has an impeccable track record," V.V. said smoothly. "Rai has been trained as well as possible for the past year. Both of them hold Geass."

Suzaku stiffened at the mention of Geass.

"What is the Knight of Seven doing here?"

"He apprehended Zero, who also held a Geass. Zero had contracted one from C.C."

"That is news to me."

"Zero is history," Charles chuckled. "I rewrote his memories."

"How ironic." The newcomer fiddled with his gloves. "Zero has now become a zero."

"May I be excused," Suzaku gritted his teeth. This conversation was starting to grate on his nerves.

"Work for Ragnarok," Charles said, waving the Knight of Seven out of the room. "And then the world will be at peace."

"Yes, milord." Suzaku hurried back to the one constant in his life; his Knightmare, Lancelot.

"Hey, what was that audience with His Majesty for? Our new addition?" Gino chirped.

"Long term logistics," Suzaku replied gloomily.

"Ice cream," Anya said.

"What did you promise her this time?" Suzaku sighed. "Honestly, we should at least try to get along with the rest of the Rounds. Then we could at least have social lives."

"We're going to an ice-cream parlor in the tourist section of Pendragon," Gino explained. "As civilians. It's so hot outside."

Suzaku frowned. "Ice cream," he repeated. "Gino, it's only ninety degrees outside."

"That's plenty hot!" the Knight of Three complained. "Anyways, get changed, but keep your ID; we're meeting outside the front gates in thirty minutes. Suzaku, I already got permission to skip your field-testing the new Lancelot Albion today from Lloyd, that science maniac."

Suzaku was left to gape at his friend as the three Knights split up to ostensibly change clothes.

Thirty minutes later, he was still gaping in shock as Gino dragged him and Anya through the city streets, greeting every random stranger who came within three feet. With a soft pang, he realized that he was wearing the same clothes he had been wearing when he had first met Euphie.

"Smile, Suzaku!" Gino scolded. "You too, Anya! The world isn't a camera screen!"

"Recorded," Anya replied.

"Where are we going?" Suzaku asked, gingerly extricating himself from his comrade's grasp. "I'm lost already."

Gino frowned. "Pendragon is divided into districts separated by major streets. The tourists' section is in the southern part bordering the road to the palace. If you get lost, just head for the main road, and don't trust what anyone tells you. They're pretty prejudiced here."

"Yes, sir," Suzaku said, twisting his head around to gaze at the shops here, which sold everything from not only Britannian culture but also that of its conquered peoples. "What is _that?_"

Gino glanced back to where Suzaku pointed. "That's a blowgun," he explained. "The natives in Brazil put in little poisoned darts and blow them out at people. It's surprisingly effective against infantry."

"I can imagine," Suzaku murmured. "Where exactly is this ice cream parlor of yours?"

"It's in a richer area that caters to wealthy tourists," Gino said. A contingent of police marched down the road opposite them, shooting Suzaku dirty looks; Suzaku remembered Gino's advice; _they're pretty prejudiced here_.

"How much longer?" Suzaku muttered; even the passersby were starting to shoot him disdainful looks. "If the people keep glaring at me, I'll just let you and Anya go alone next time."

"Recorded," Anya announced.

"We'll come in uniform, then," Gino said. "They wouldn't dare do that then."

Suzaku could have sworn he heard a random bystander mutter, "Yes, we would."

At this point in time, he was wondering if reforming an empire like Britannia was perhaps too much for one person to do from within.

XxXxX

Rolo hummed happily, holding a pair of ice cream cones as the door to his dorm opened.

"Here, they were a treat from the cook," he said, handing his partner one. "They're safe, and I know you haven't had ice cream for at least a year and a half, before the Zero incident."

Rai took a bite and winced as his mouth froze.

"Lick," Rolo suggested. "It's better that way. We're authorized to leave for Pendragon in twelve days for the inauguration of the new Knight of Eleven."

Rai tilted his head.

"We return four days ahead of time, however," Rolo elaborated. "The official ceremony will be on the second day. The Knights of Seven and Eleven will arrive along with the rest of the official entourage later."

Rai snorted in derision, licking his ice cream.

"I know, what strategist allows his opponents to break themselves out of jail?"

Rai raised an eyebrow in skeptism.

"I don't have an idea what the master plan for this is, either," he said bitterly. Purple eyes stared into purple eyes for a second before Rolo sighed. "Or why we're supposed to wear eyepatches."

Rai shrugged and ate the last of his ice cream, throwing the cone away.

"The cone's edible too, or did you forget that as well?" Rolo frowned. Rai went to fish the cone back out of the trash can, only to be stopped by Rolo. "Once things are in the trash, they generally aren't fit to be eaten anymore."

Rai gave a flat, incomprehensible stare.

"Never mind. This mission's boring, but in a nice way. We get to relax and even eat ice cream." Rolo bit into his cone, considering events of the past year and a half.

XxXxX

_(flashback)_

_Rolo stared at the new addition to the Directorate. No one who had hit puberty ever entered this place with a Geass, yet this person had one, a sealed one. That in itself was an odd phenomenon; Rolo was willing to guess that not only was the Geass dangerous, but also the person. _

"_Starting from today, he will be your new roommate," V.V. said. "His name is Rai." _

_Rai bowed politely, and Rolo found himself bowing back automatically. _

_He hadn't realized exactly how dangerous the other's Geass was until, a few days later, the newcomer had forced another trainee at the Directorate to kill himself. _

_Soon, whispers and accusations of the 'Black Prince' arose, at title that referred to the cruel Britannian princes of old who had been ruthless in their quests for power, the ones that had created the incredible military machine of the Britannian Armed Forces. _

_Rolo never forgot the look in the other's eyes as the antagonist, a boy who looked no older than ten, drew his blade across his throat. It had been the most frightening thing he had ever seen, a mix of satisfaction and insanity and anger and other feral, unnamable emotions. _

_(end flashback) _

XxXxX

"Three deluxe pistachio cones, extra large!" Gino chirped, forking over a large sum of money. Suzaku felt for his own wallet before remembering that, even if he had brought it (which he hadn't), he was broke. Lloyd could be _very_ convincing when it came time to fund research for his precious Lancelot, and the number of times Suzaku had crashed it hadn't helped, either.

Anya must have known already, because she simply took the cone from the waiter and led their way to a small, secluded table situated between a window and a fake palm tree. He poked the delicate white wicker furniture to make sure it wouldn't collapse under his weight and sat on it gingerly, wincing as Gino, who weighed at least twenty pounds more than him, dropped onto his own chair, causing it to creak warningly.

"It won't break," Gino explained. "It's made to do that. The joys of Britannian furniture, eh?"

"Recorded," Anya said.

"What's a pistachio?" Suzaku asked. The ice cream was green. Not the same dark green as Gino's cloak, but still- _green_?

"It's a type of nut," Anya read. "It's green and the shell cracks open when the nut ripens."

"Oh." Suzaku took a lick; despite the odd color, it was good. "So you didn't order it just because it matches your cloak color."

Gino looked offended. "If I wanted to do that, I'd order their spinach ice cream."

"Recorded." Suzaku choked at the thought.

"I was just joking! Relax! Anya, delete that!"

"No."

"Aww, come on!"

"No."

"Anya!"

Suzaku leaned back and closed his eyes, enjoying the warm sunlight and the sweet coldness of the ice cream mix with Gino and Anya's friendly arguments. The last time he had felt so happy or relaxed was in Ashford Academy with Euphie, Nunnally, the Student Council, and Lelouch.

'_Lelouch'_. His heart contracted painfully. '_Why did you kill Euphie? And then blame a massacre on her?'_

"Recorded," Anya said, and Suzaku opened his eyes to find her in his face.

'_Lelouch is dead,'_ he reminded himself. _'You caused his death the day you turned him over to his father and uncle.'_

"You were _smiling_," Gino said, waving his arms around. "It was cool, and creepy. You never smile!"

"Yes I do," Suzaku said, mildly offended. "I just did, didn't I?" He heard the tramp of boots outside as a patrol marched by. "Is the city usually so well-guarded?"

Gino frowned. "Most of them are waiting for troop deployments to the fronts, so they have nothing to do except drill. Actually, Anya's going to go with them to Brazil."

"That's under the command of Princess Cornelia, isn't it?" Suzaku frowned. It had been a while since he had concentrated on anything other than Britannian-Japanese politics.

"It-" Gino began, only to stop as a shadow obscured their table. Suzaku looked over and saw a group of young nobles.

"If you don't mind," sniffed one dandy, "get that Number out of here so we can enjoy ourselves properly."

"Can't you see that we're busy?" Anya said, typing busily into her electronic diary. "Recorded."

"Bitch," a lady snarled. "Commoner, get out of here! And take that filthy Number trash with you!"

"They really don't look past uniforms, do they?" Gino sighed. "Let's go, then, Suzaku-kun, since they obviously don't want us here. Weren't you due to field test the Lancelot today?"

Suzaku was about to mention that Gino had cancelled before he realized the man was subtly trying to alert the nobles to their rank; the Knights of Rounds had precedence of rank over everyone but the royal family.

"As if a Number like him could even pilot a Knightmare," a third opponent, this one wearing incredibly varicolored hose, said. "What, isn't one of the Knights of Rounds a Number now or something?"

"He's an _honorary_ Britannian," a second woman sniped, spitting out the word 'honorary' like it was an insult.

"I can't believe they're so dense," Suzaku whispered to Gino.

"They're Duke Motley's and Duke Calares's clique," Gino whispered back. "They're Purists and traditionalists, which means they're some of the most snobby, prejudiced people you'll ever meet."

Suzaku looked at his ice cream. "I suddenly feel the need to be outside and destroying something, preferably in the Lancelot."

Gino stared at him.

"Did I say that out loud?" he squeaked.

"Recorded," Anya's voice filtered through his mind. The nobles were silent; this time, it was Suzaku who dragged away his fellow Knights.

"Uppity Number," he heard the scornful voice of one of the nobles behind him as he nearly ran away.

"Stupid bitch," Gino muttered under his breath, looking upset. "Suzaku, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"I know you didn't," Suzaku said, pausing by a shop selling Japanese paraphernalia. "How much is that nodachi?"

"A what?" the proprietor, Gino, and Anya asked at the same time.

Suzaku sighed, ignoring the dark glares the other customers- all Britannian- shot him. "The really long sword with the silver and black cross-hatched pattern on the hilt."

"You could have said that earlier, Number," the proprietor grumbled, taking his time to lift the sword carelessly from its stand.

"My treat," Gino announced.

"What are you, infinitely wealthy?" Suzaku grumbled.

"No, but my parents are," Gino chirped, draping himself over Suzaku's shoulder.

"Recorded."

"Gino, please get off. I can't unsheathe it this way, and you're heavy."

"Mar it, and you pay for it, one way or another," the proprietor threatened.

"Covered," Gino chirped, waving his arm carelessly around and nearly upsetting a vase of flowers.

Suzaku pulled the blade out, examining it. To his surprise, the blade was not a cheap imitation but high-quality, sharpened steel treated to be almost unbreakable.

"Does this no- sword have a name?" he asked politely.

The proprietor grunted. "The dealer called it 'massive moon' or sommat like that."

"Masamune," Suzaku breathed.

"Masamune?" Gino echoed.

"Recorded."

"Goro Nyudo Masamune is perhaps Japan's most famous swordsmith. If this _is_ one of his works, then it should be priceless."

"And if it's a fake?" Gino asked.

"Nodachi are terribly hard to make. It's still a blade worth a small fortune."

"Bought," Gino said.

"I don't want it-" Suzaku began.

"I know, I know," Gino chirped happily. "I think the sword is cool! Could you wait outside with Anya while I make the transaction?"

"Guns are more effective," Suzaku muttered under his breath as he pulled Anya out. A few minutes later, Gino walked out as well.

"I charged it to my parents' account," the Knight said sheepishly. "They have an entire room dedicated to stuff I buy and send home."

"Recorded."

"Has she said anything else all day?" Suzaku wondered.

"I think she's still mad over the incident with at the ice cream parlor," Gino admitted. "Why don't we head back now? The more I come here, the more prejudiced I find this place to be."

"Well, soon we'll be back in Area 11, so don't get your hopes up," Suzaku said, using the sun to orient himself. "That way."

The entire way back to the palace, Suzaku wondered whether he should just admit defeat and try to utilize Lelouch's method.

'_Funny, how the outsider tries to change the system by being an insider and the insider-former insider- tries to change the system from the outside.'_ Perhaps Lelouch had been right.

XxXxX

"And this, my dear, is the new and recently upgraded Guren S.E.I.T.E.N Hakkyokushiki!" Rakshata announced, pulling the cover off a new machine Kallen barely recognized. "I stole the Pudding Earl's data and incorporated it into my baby!"

"It'll help me retrieve Lelouch?" Kallen asked, stroking the smooth, cold metal.

Rakshata smiled and tossed her the key. "Only if you put it to good use."

Kallen nearly broke the terminal doors down as she launched into the air around the Ikaruga, moving at speeds faster than most of the other Knightmares the Black Knights had were even capable of achieving.

"It's great!"

"You're our ace, of course it's great," Ohgi's voice filtered over the monitor. "Alright, then, we seize control of the Sakuradite mine in Sapporo, then head off to Penglai Island as per our treaty with the Chinese Federation."

"You're doing a great job, Ohgi-san," Kallen reassured him, catching sight of the first Britannian Sutherlands in the distance. "I don't think we'll even run into any serious opposition, much less gain casualties."

"Nippon banzai!" the Black Knights cheered, rolling (or in their commanders' cases, flying) towards the mine.

Thirty minutes later, Kallen smiled as the federation's glacier ships sailed them away, along with most of the available Sakuradite stored in or near the mine, as well as most of the mine's workers. Britannia wouldn't be getting Sakuradite from there anytime soon, the Black Knights could now fund just about any mischief they wanted, and they seemed to be doing just fine without Zero.

It would have been perfect if she could talk to Lelouch again, even if only to question his Geass's role in her feelings. The rest might have moved on over the shock of their commander's and idol's identity, but she hadn't.

"Zero is a symbol," she reminded herself. "He made it so, so now we are all Zero."

Tsuzuku

XxXxX

AN: Yes, the whole ice-cream incident will be important later on. On the other hand, the next chapter will focus on Kallen and my second-favorite mecha of all times, the Guren (and the rest of the Black Knights, of course. The chapter after that should focus on what's going on with the new Knight of Eleven and with the Ragnarok Junction conspiracy, but that's not 'til later. The point is, each chapter will hone in on one part of the problem of 'where is Zero?'

So please, don't ask me who Zero is. You'll find out in the end, although you're welcome to keep guessing. And remember, half the clues you find to his identity are going to be false. (more than half, actually) Because Code Geass (the canon) loves misdirecting viewers, and I'm going to stick to that.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: This is going to be basically a rewrite of R2 from now on, since I've twisted up events leading from R1 up so very badly. Also, I have 500 readers and eight reviews. It made me very depressed. Please, if you read this, tell me what you think, even if you think it's a piece of crap. It'll make me feel much better, thank you very much. I'm not writing to a void over here. (At least I think I'm not….) What you put in your reviews affects how I write the next chapter.

Also, we've been having earthquakes here lately. Since I live on a fault line that's been over due to move for thirty years, you can see how this might be a bad thing. If I suddenly disappear off this site, please realize what has happened. Then someone else please continue this story. Thank you.

Summary: A year after the execution of Zero, the Japanese people are losing hope once again. The remnants of the Black Knights search for their lost leader, but are foiled by Britannia again and again. In the midst of the chaos, a masked assassin appears, using cunning and deceit to fulfill his missions. Where is Zero?

Chapter Summary: This is why you have to be careful when you plan a coup. Kallen develops Zero's cunning quite by accident. This is the knighting of the Knight of Eleven from the point of view of the Black Knights.

Disclaimer: I am neither Japanese nor an adult. Therefore, I am out of the running for candidates who possibly own Code Geass. That also means this story won't have any pairings.

XxXxX

Chapter 3: Suterareta Kamen- The Abandoned Mask

XxXxX

_Zero cannot be trusted. _

_- Asahina Shougo_

XxXxX

Kallen fiddled with the wiring in one of the control center's light panels. The Black Knights and their adjutants had escaped to Penglai Island, where they were effectively out of Britannia's grasp. Everyone was settling in well- except for her, apparently. The Sakuradite that Rakshata had deemed of inferior quality to make Knightmares had been sold for enormous profits, most of which were funding the rebuilding of Penglai Island into a city; soon, the island would be host to over a million people.

'_What would we have done if you had been here, Zero?'_ she wondered. '_Did we make a slip-up somewhere? Can we make our own miracles?'_

She had to install the wiring before tonight; the Black Knights had a base, but they still had to make a strike in a few days, when Britannia left.

The Ikaruga had been outfitted with a battalion of Knightmares and enough medical equipment to treat everybody, and the strike would take place the day after the Britannians left- the day the Knight of Eleven was knighted. They would need full tactical support on that day.

"Kallen, are you done?" Chiba called. "Ryoga wants to test the system out."

"Almost," she replied, twisting a red and a blue wire together. "There. Done. Check it?"

Downstairs, in the main command room, the Four Holy Swords and a mad scientist cheered as they received internet for the first time in a while.

"Once we retrieve our men, we can reform," Ohgi said, walking over with a pair of pliers. "I wonder why we were allowed to escape?"

Kallen frowned, remembering how the power in their section of the prison had gone down- ever so conveniently- for half an hour, allowing a good portion of the Black Knights, including many of the commanders (including Ohgi, Tamaki, and three of the Holy Swords) and pilots. That had been ten months ago, eight months after their imprisonment following the Black Rebellion. Kallen still remembered meeting up with the escapees; it had been a shock to all involved, but the Black Knights had effectively been reborn that day.

Had that in itself been part of Britannia's ploy?

"Ohgi," she began uncertainly. "Remember Lelouch? He was a strategist on par with the current Britannian Chancellor, Schneizel el Britannia. On par, Ohgi. Not better than, on par. What if everything we've been doing has been a part of some plan of his all along?"

Ohgi frowned. "Zero was always good at predicting moves. Nonetheless, we fight. We'll simply have to come up with strategies of our own. I'll tell the others, though."

Kallen shook her head, dismissing the thought. "Don't. It would just worry them, and we can't afford second-guessing right now."

"Alright, then. Let's get back to the meeting room. We have a breakout to plan and half our forces to free."

XxXxX

Rai played with the Sutherland's systems. The black Knightmare spun around easily, its controls carefully calibrated.

"Onii-sama?" Rolo questioned from the video link. Rai shook his head, and they continued practicing. "Be careful, though. Your stamina's low."

The Sutherland leashed a spray of bullets in Rolo's direction.

"It's always been low, Rai." The Vincent took out one of the Sutherland's arms. "I win. Honestly, your Knightmare piloting attack abilities are crap. You should stick with defense."

The Sutherland slid back a few feet and the Vincent closed in, only to become mired in the spot.

"Have I mentioned how much I hate your traps, onii-sama?"

XxXxX

"We return to the motherland in a few days," Schneizel said. "And then the new governor will take my place."

"That can only be to the better," Kanon replied. "You always did prefer arguing with the E.U. and the Chinese."

"Send the proposition to the High Eunuchs," Schneizel ordered.

XxXxX

"This is the Sword of Akasha," Charles di Britannia told Suzaku. "It is the weapon that will kill God."

Behind them, the third person snorted. "Geass isn't everything, apparently. Why would you want one?"

Suzaku grunted noncommittally.

"My Lord, Schneizel has finished the first ever Geass Canceler," V.V. announced. "They have equipped it to one Jeremiah Gottwald."

"See?" the person who was quickly becoming Suzaku's most hated enemy mocked. "When will you learn that you cannot change things from the inside?"

"Orange," Suzaku shot back.

"You are not to go within three hundred meters of that man, either of you," V.V. ordered.

The figure did not reply.

XxXxX

The invading Black Knights could see the prison complex just ahead; they deployed swiftly.

"Let's finish this before dawn," Toudou ordered, gunning his modified Akatsuki ahead.

"Nippon banzai!" several others barked in agreement; the invading force was of twenty one Knightmares- Toudou and his command, and Kallen.

"Incoming!" Chiba's voice called over the communications. The Ikaruga had flown from Penglai Island and was currently overing several hundred meters behind and above them, waiting to transport the rest of the Knights and with a clear view of the field below. "Two squads, three Sutherlands each, fifty meters away and approaching from two o'clock and ten o'clock, respectively."

"Take the group on the left!" Toudou barked. "I'll deal with the ones on the right! Everyone else, our comrades are incarcerated in Building Six; use the artillery to break down the walls, then use close-range combat!"

Kallen engaged with the lead Knightmare and gasped in pleasant surprise as her new and improved Guren tore through the enemy Sutherlands like rice paper.

"Remind me to thank Rakshata after this," she told no one in particular.

"You've mentioned that several times already," Ohgi said.

"Ohgi, why are you on foot? And why are you carrying all those grenades?"

"We get to open the doors," Tamaki cheered. "The grenades'll do the job for us!"

"Okay, but I thought this was a surgical strike?"

"Hey, it was the best plan we could come up with," Ryoga scolded. "We're not genius tacticians like Zero here."

"What, we couldn't infiltrate?"

"That's what my group is doing, covered by the Knightmares," Ohgi said calmly. "Now hurry up. We get to open the locks to a _lot_ of doors tonight."

"Before the Britannian reinforcements arrive," Chiba agreed. "Alright, Team A and Guren, I'm sending you visuals."

"Got it," Kallen said, scanning a faux-3D image of the complex. "It's that really, really large building on our left. The new one."

"I love terrorism," a random member sighed. "It's so nice to know our work is appreciated."

"Less gab, more driving."

"Yes, sir!"

XxXxX

Suzaku tried to keep his scowl from his face as the man- whose face was still hidden from the public- knelt.

'_Who wears black to their own knighting?'_ he wondered irritably before Anya elbowed him in the hip and he smoothed his expression back. _'Especially when ascending to such an important commission?'_

"I, Charles di Britannia, dub thee the Knight of Eleven, and welcome you into the ranks of the Knights of Rounds." The Emperor's voice was as dispassionate as if he were making a comment about the weather. Suzaku could hardly believe his actions over the promotion of the person he and very few others knew the new Knight of Eleven to be. "Please rise."

On cue, the figure rose, and Suzaku took a good look at clothing he had memorized; a high-collared, ankle-length sleeveless black surcoat zipped up the front that split into four long panels of cloth at the waist, a long, metal-studded belt that looped twice around the waist and still held indentations where a holster would have sat, detached sleeves starting just below the armpit and falling to the knuckles, simple black pants tucked into dull black boots. And the mask, of course, a black (what other color could it have been?) helmet with a full tinted faceplate.

Even as he glared quietly at the man, he couldn't help but be impressed at the implications of the costume; there was no clue as to his identity in his clothing, but it revealed enough to show that the person was physically mature, male, and Britannian.

In the eyes of the court, that made him a better candidate than Suzaku himself. Out of all the nobles, officials, and press in the room, Suzaku was probably the only one who knew the other had little skill with the Knightmare, Charles di Britannia included.

After all, he was the one who had fought the other on a near-weekly basis for the past eight months.

"-he is the pilot of the customized Knightmare Frame 'Gawain'," Charles continued, and Suzaku briefly wondered if he would be able to create a distraction and excape the ceremony's tedium; going through one was enough, and he didn't need to go to another just to watch his enemy get rewarded.

Having decided that listening to Charles di Britannia, the man who was his direct superior and perhaps the most powerful man alive, was pointless, Suzaku began counting the number of crystals in the chandelier.

"And thus, he is-"

Suzaku hissed in anger and surprise and focused his gaze on the Emperor just as the room erupted into talk. The new Knight was the only one who was still; even Charles di Britannia had smirked and raised his hand for silence. '_What is he thinking?!' _

XxXxX

Kallen opened another lock, hacking at it ungracefully with a hatchet. She, like many others, had run out of ammunition and explosives; even with the Black Knights stuffed twenty-odd to a cell, there were so many of them that the rescuers had been forced to resort to cruder methods. '_When you look at things from this angle, it does seem that the Black Rebellion was a total failure. Lelouch, damn you. I- we- put our trust in you. How could you abandon us?' _

Her comlink crackled.

"_Kallen?"_ Ohgi's voice filtered through.

"How many more?" Kallen gasped, hacking away at the next lock.

"_Some of the freed ones are helping; finish the other twenty on your level and head back for guard duty; the reinforcements should be coming soon." _

Kallen cursed as the hatchet broke and pulled out a gun she had confiscated from a dead Britannian soldier. The prisoners of the cell moved back to avoid being hit as much as twenty people in a twenty by twenty room could move.

A few shots, and the door was open.

Honestly, just how many people were in this place?

XxXxX

Sitting in the back of the throne room, where the ceremony was being held, Rolo and Rai exchanged significant glances; the plan was moving along very well. Rolo slipped his hand into his sleeve and pulled out his trusty killing knife; Rai touched the handle of the gun hidden inside his jacket.

"Not now," Rolo cautioned. "Let's go talk to V.V.-sama."

Without another word, the two assassins left the gathering and headed for the Sword of Akasha.

XxXxX

Back on the Ikaruga, Kallen massaged her arms.

"How many did we get out?" she wondered.

"You broke out somewhere around two hundred," Ohgi said, typing up a report. "In all, we got everyone out. That amounts to well over a thousand people- our core troops. The shock troops were released already, or we'd be still hacking locks off."

"I can't believe I hacked off a hundred locks," Kallen muttered. Behind her, the others who had participated murmured agreements. "It's just so surreal."

"Our people are currently in the infirmary, being treated," Urabe said, walking in. "It seems we can do fine without Zero, after all. This strike probably could have gone better, but at least we got everyone else out with minimal damage to our own forces and equipment."

"Urabe's being rational," Kallen muttered. "And calm. He's _got _to be a fake."

"That's not funny," Ryoga snickered.

"Hey!" Urabe protested. "I'm not like Tamaki!"

"Let's head back to Penglai," Chiba suggested, changing the topic. "We'll call off the search for Zero, as well. If he isn't back after eighteen months, then Britannia really did execute him."

"You're giving up on the man that brought this all together?" Kallen snapped.

"Look beyond your face, Kallen," Asahina said. "He vanished on us. He might have founded the Black Knights, but we are the ones who will gain victory."

Kallen gave up. _'I know you're not dead, Lelouch. Where are you and what are you doing, you big manipulative idiot!' _

"Turn the Ikaruga!" Toudou ordered to general cheering. "We return to Penglai!"

Truly, there was nothing like a total victory to boost one's spirits.

XxXxX

"The mission was a success," Kallen cheered as she danced into their official headquarters on Penglai, explaining the results of the raid to Asahina and Diethard, who had stayed to manage Penglai Island in their absence. The rest of the ones who had participated in the strike were helping their comrades off the Ikaruga and onto their new home. She quickly sobered at the looks on their faces, however.

"What's wrong?"

"While we were gone, the Knight of Eleven was inaugurated," the ex-reporter said.

"What is it?" Kallen asked, wondering what could be so troublesome about a simple ceremony. "Unless-"

"I think you should look at the video." Asahina's face was stony.

Kallen gasped. "This is- no! It can't be!"

Tsuzuku

XxXxX

AN: The mark of a good cliffhanger is when the author doesn't know what to do. So, therefore, I will be taking some time off to get a proper outline up for this fic and to finish all of my many, many huge projects so I can get into [censored].

Also, in war, the shock troops are the cannon fodder. The core troops are the ones that fight after the shock troops have exhausted the enemy.

Next chapter focuses on Rai, Rolo, and Schneizel.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Officially, the pairing will eventually be KallenxLelouch. That will be very far into the future. Oh, and Rai isn't who you think he is. In all sense of the phrase.

Summary: A year after the execution of Zero, the Japanese people are losing hope once again. The remnants of the Black Knights search for their lost leader, but are foiled by Britannia again and again. In the midst of the chaos, a masked assassin appears, using cunning and deceit to fulfill his missions. Where is Zero?

Chapter Summary: Things get confusing.

Disclaimer: If I owned Code Geass, the concept of the World of C. wouldn't be so disturbing. (Although isn't that the whole point of the World of C?) So therefore, I do not own Code Geass.

Warning: Cursing, confusion. But the confusion's natural.

XxXxX

Chapter 4: Carpe Diem- Seize the Day

XxXxX

"_If the king does not lead, then his men will not follow." _

_-Lelouch vi Britannia, atb. 2017 _

XxXxX

In accordance with popular belief, Schneizel el Britannia was not a stupid man. Therefore, he knew that there was something wrong with his younger brother.

Exactly who his younger brother had been and was now was the big question. After all, it isn't every day that one wakes up to find that one's beloved, long-lost dead brother is now one's worst enemy.

Rolo, on the other hand, thought he knew perfectly what was going on. There was always the possibility that he was being duped for the safety of the mission, he knew, but that did not matter. He had his orders.

'_When Rai regains his memories, you are to restrain him. If necessary, you are to kill him. Those are the orders of V.V. and of Charles di Britannia.' _

"Your highness Schneizel, we have our orders." Rolo looked into the shuttered, icy blue eyes of the second prince.

"As do we," Suzaku announced. "The Lancelot and the Gawain are ready for a field test. The Knight of Eleven and I will remain on standby."

"You don't call him by his name," Schneizel noted.

"To do so would be an insult," Suzaku replied flatly. "I refuse to do so."

"To you or the Japanese?" Kanon asked cautiously.

"To Britannia."

"Oh?"

"That's not his real name," Suzaku grumbled. "It's nothing more than an alias meant to deceive the masses."

"Like Zero."

"Shut _up_, Knight of Eleven."

"You too, Britannia's White Grim Reaper. I'm surprised you haven't collapsed from the hypocrisy of your actions."

Suzaku glared ineffectually at the man in front of him, white, gold, and black clashing terribly. From behind his own mask, Rai snickered silently.

"At this rate, Britannia's going to become the land of the masked soldiers," Rolo muttered. "Let's go, Rai."

Wordlessly, the two left the command center of the Avalon. Suzaku watched them go, suspicion glinting in his eyes.

XxXxX

Kallen stared in disbelief as the new Knight of Eleven was inaugurated formally.

"It can't be," she whispered. "But it has to. His specs match up. So does his voice."

"Who wears a mask in the middle of their own ceremony?" Chiba demanded. "This whole thing stinks of conspiracy."

"Zero-sama," Tamaki wailed mournfully in his corner.

"The Ikaruga," Kallen whispered. "It was Zero's last gift, wasn't it?"

"Let's hope not," Rakshata drawled from her couch, looking only marginally discomfited. "We haven't finished installing the Blaze Luminous yet."

"I can't believe this," Ohgi snarled.

"We need to move before we fall behind," Toudou said. "We may have Kallen, our Ace, and the Shiseiken, but they have the Knights of Rounds. And they have incredible strategists and firepower."

"How goes our plans in cutting off Britannian sakuradite supplies?" Asahina asked. "We need to do the best we can, and then some. Zero isn't here, but we will continue nonetheless."

"He planned everything, and then created contingency plans, and contingency plans for those," Kallen mused. "He probably even had plans to back those up. We, all of us here, combined with the Druid System, can barely match his intellectual ability; we're at a disadvantage, and we also have Schneizel to deal with."

"Schneizel is on par with Zero, if your information about him is truly correct," Toudou mused. "Go back to school, Kallen. See if you can find anything on Zero's whereabouts."

"Yes," Kallen murmured. She hated her weak persona. "I hate to say it, but we need Zero more than anything right now."

XxXxX

"Onii-sama, the Knight of Seven is becoming suspicious," Rolo said as soon as he had closed the door behind him. "Stop acting like that!"

Rai took off his helmet and rebreather and stared at Rolo dully.

"Stop pretending! It's scary!"

There was a knock on their door, which opened to reveal a young officer with short black hair.

"Hello, I am Major Shirley Fenette. Prince Schneizel requests that you be present at the bridge at 0900 tomorrow," the woman, who couldn't have been past her early twenties, said quickly. "Other than that, thank you and goodbye!"

The door slammed shut again. Rolo and Rai shared amused looks.

"Is our reputation really that bad?" Rolo asked wistfully. "I thought I did a better job of covering my tasks."

Rai drummed his fingers along the desk.

"If it's not that, then what is it?" Rolo emptied out his pockets. "Have you seen my spare cartridges?"

Wordlessly, Rai reached into his own pocket and pulled out a box of shells.

"Did I really leave them behind in the restroom?"

The door opened again, and this time Kanon Maldini found himself facing the business ends of two high-powered handguns.

"I just came by to ask if you've seen a young female major with short black hair," he sighed. "She's probably an infiltrator-"

"Kanon Maldini, please report to the bridge. Repeat, Kanon Maldini, please report to the bridge."

Rai pointed in the direction the woman had gone in.

"Thanks!" Kanon ran down the hall in the opposite direction.

"_His_ plan really is working," Rolo said in awe. "Although why he didn't tell any of them about it, I don't know."

Rai shrugged casually.

XxXxX

In fact, the next day, when the Avalon finally docked in Area 11, the two assassins found themselves engaging in a futile search for the 'Major Shirley Fenette', whose name was not 'Shirley Fenette', of course. The real Shirley Fenette was a schoolgirl with long auburn hair and an alibi.

By the end of the search, Rai was bent over, gasping for air. Rolo wasn't even sweating particularly hard.

"Is that collar cutting off your breathing?" Rolo asked. "Maybe we should've asked V.V. to get you a bigger size."

Rai gave him The Look.

"Sorry for asking. When do you think we'll return to the Geass Directorate-"

"Hey, you two!" an officer called, jogging over. "What're you do-"

There was a soft crunch as Rolo slid his knife into the man's frozen trachea. A second later, Rai shot the dying officer in the forehead.

"They heard you," Rolo said calmly as he prepared to hotwire the man's car. "I told you that you shouldn't have to rely on a gun."

By the time the surrounding men had come over to check the problem, the only things left were the officer's corpse, a spreading pool of blood, and the remains of a car that had obviously exploded.

Sergeant Lance Armstrong's death was ruled an accident.

"Poor sod," the autopsy examiner said unsympathetically. "He should have known better than to try to fix a car after it backfired like that."

The next day found Rolo and Rai standing outside the gates of Ashford Academy, minus their eyepatches.

Rolo rubbed his right eye happily; it was nice to be able to see with depth perception. Rai smiled and took off his collar wordlessly.

"Rolo and Rai Lamperouge?" the girl who was their guide asked. "Welcome to Ashford Academy!"

XxXxX

Gino looked up from his position reading on his bed; Suzaku stood in the doorway, looking uncertain.

"Gino," he said abruptly.

"Suzaku?"

"Umm, can I come in?"

"Suzaku, we're friends, aren't we?" Gino sat up and closed his book. "Sit."

Suzaku entered, pacing around the room.

"What, Suzaku? Spill; you look more nervous than the Spanish did when they surrendered."

"WhatdoyouthinkabouttheJapanese-ImeanElevens?" Suzaku blurted out.

Gino stared at his fellow Knight. "What?"

"What. Do. You. Think. About. The. Elevens," Suzaku asked in a strangled voice.

"Why? It's never been a matter before. I don't hold your heritage against you, if that's what you mean."

Suzaku shook his head. "That incident in the shop, where you bought that nodachi. What do you think about the Elevens?"

Gino frowned. "I don't really care, one way or another, I guess. I mean, Britannia invaded-"

"Not that," Suzaku snapped impatiently. "What do you think about Japan?"

Gino sat up straight. "I respect it," he said firmly. "It was its own culture and had its own merits. It still does. I think of Britannia as a patchwork quilt; she may conquer the Areas, but she will be affected by those Areas' cultures eventually. Without her Areas, Britannia wouldn't be Britannia."

"So 'Japan' is just a part of Britannia?" Suzaku snapped.

"Calm down, Suzaku," Gino scolded. "Didn't you tell Anya and me you wanted to change Britannia? Change takes a long time- generations, at least. People don't like to change; you have to recondition their children to think differently. At least that's what I think. Good luck, Kururugi Suzaku."

Suzaku sat down in the room's only chair. "It does seem hard," he admitted, laughing bitterly. "Here I am, Britannia's White Grim Reaper, and the people here can't look beyond the unfortunate incident of my birth."

"Where do you think of as home, then?" Gino asked, leaning back.

Suzaku paused. "The Lancelot's cockpit, actually. I spend most of my time in there, anyways. I'm surprised I don't need glasses yet."

"Contacts are much more efficient," Gino advised. "They don't fall off."

Suzaku snorted. "Thanks for your advice."

Gino paused. "Good luck with the new Knight."

"Thanks."

XxXxX

"-and this is the student clubhouse!" Milly chirped, throwing her arms out wide.

"Onii-sama, this is so cool!" Rolo squealed, surreptitiously depositing a small spy camera on the wall to watch events in the room.

Rai snorted.

"Hey, _say_ something!" Shirley squealed.

"Um, doesn't Rai remind you of someone?" Kallen squeaked. She clutched the tracker hidden in her pocket, frowning as she noticed irregularities between Rai and her memories of Lelouch. _'Zero… is not this man.'_ She took a closer look at Rai. _'Is he? I can't tell, since most of his face is hidden under his scarf and hat. Dammit, if only I could see him in school uniform- no! This is a trap!'_

"Now that you think of it," Milly mused. "Not really, but he does look like James."

"Or Edward," Shirley said.

'_Did they forget about Lelouch?'_ Kallen wondered. '_Or are they just extraordinarily stupid and blind, just like most Britannians?'_

"Rivalz, what do you think?"

Rivalz shook his head. "Nah. But he does look kind of like the Empress Marianne back when she was seventeen, though. If she had short hair."

"What do you think, Rai?" Kallen asked, giving him a limpid look. Her hand moved to her back pocket where she kept her concealed knife.

Rai gave her a blank stare.

"Ano, onii-sama can't speak," Rollo admitted sheepishly. "It was due to an accident ten months ago."

"Ano," Kallen muttered. "I think- I forgot something at home. Please excuse me!"

"Onii-sama?" Rolo asked guilelessly. Rai had already moved off, his hand ghosting over his eyes lightly.

Kallen closed the door behind her and started running.

XxXxX

"The Gawain?" Suzaku murmured, staring at the Knightmare. It was still much taller than an ordinary frame, but this one was as long and thin as the old on had been bulky. The bulky 'backpack' of the cockpit was barely visible. "It's different from what I remember."

"The only things it has in common with the old Gawain are the Yggsdrasil Drive and the Druid System," Cecile admitted. "We gave it a complete rehaul to match the Knight of Eleven's specifications. It's built for speed, but it's only half done; we don't have the defense system up yet, the only weapons are the four Slash Harkens, and we have no way of putting in an ejection seat without bulking it up again. Heck, we don't even have life support in that thing!"

"Black and silver," Lloyd sang, spinning in an arabesque; Suzaku winced at the unfortunate image of his mechanic twirling around in a frilly tutu. "It goes so well with white and gold, doesn't it? The Lancelot Conquista and the Gawain Mariposa?"

"Yes," the Knight of Eleven agreed, walking in wearing a version of the Knights flight uniform that resembled Anya's, minus many, many key pieces of cloth. "Cecile, why is my uniform designed to make me look like a male hooker?"

"We're cutting back on as much weight as possible," Cecile retorted. "It's either that or go flying buck naked. At least you're skinny."

"I'd hate to see that picture," Lloyd chirped just as the Knight vehemently replied, "A turtleneck sports bra thing and hot pants doesn't make much difference!"

"By the way, what should we call you?" Cecile asked, changing the subject. "'Knight of Eleven' is too long for most situations, if you ask me."

"Call me?" the Knight tilted his helmeted head, a frown creasing the part of his face that was not covered by the visor. "Does it really matter?"

"Lulu," Suzaku said before he realized what he was suggesting.

"Lulu," the Knight of Eleven agreed sarcastically. "Not that I care that it's a girl's name, Kururugi, you idiot."

"Lulu it is, then!" Lloyd cheered. "I'll go put it into the database!"

"Is he normally like this?" the newly dubbed 'Lulu' deadpanned.

"Unfortunately," Cecile and Suzaku sighed.

XxXxX

Kallen ran as fast as she could. '_Shit! I should have known! Of course Britannia would think of Ashford! It's not like I bothered to hide my presence during the Black Rebellion!'_

She could here footsteps approaching, keeping time with hers. '_It can't be Lelouch- he's so unfit!' _But eighteen months is enough time for anyone to get into shape several times over. '_He's strong and fast- no wonder his physique is bulkier!'_

"Stop." The voice was not that of Lelouch vi Britannia, but it contained the same air of command and authority. Kallen shuddered; _'It's so flat. Like he doesn't care about anything.'_ The next moment, she felt her body slow down and stop of its own volition. '_This isn't Lelouch's Geass!'_

"Wh-what," she gasped out, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. "How?"

"My Geass allows me to control a person's movements, so long as I can see them." Rai's voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't used it in a while. It was also several octaves too high, as if he hadn't undergone puberty yet. Kallen was willing to bet he hadn't. "Rolo's allows him to stop time, so don't think about trying to escape."

"Do you have a name?" Kallen stared directly ahead, unable to even blink.

"No. I am called Rai for now, and that is enough." The Lelouch look-alike stepped in closer, and Kallen realized that this person was both shorter and broader than Lelouch. Rai took off his hat as he handcuffed her, revealing black hair already showing dark brown roots. "Rolo and I were ordered to bring you back, alive."

"Who?" Kallen gritted her teeth, swallowing as she could move once more, but too late. "Was it the Emperor?"

"It was _him._"

'_I am in such deep shit,_' Kallen realized as she was half-shoved, half-pulled out of the Academy and into the back of a waiting truck. _'This really was a trap. I need to warn the rest….' _

Tsuzuku

XxXxX

AN: Rai (in this fic) is really a character. He was in the Geass Directorate when the Black Knights attacked in the canon. Needless to say, he is also very, very dead in the canon. He's also quite a bit younger than Lelouch, around Rolo's age. I just made him a bit taller.

Also, after a few chapters, I will be renovating this fic. So consider this the rough draft; there will probably be plot holes, since this story is going to have more plot twists than soap opera. I really hope you notice the discrepancies I put in on purpose. 'Mariposa' is Spanish for 'butterfly' and slang for 'prostitute'.

Oh, and about the omake; Elizabeth Bathory is arguably the most prolific female serial killer in all history. She was a Hungarian Countess with a nasty reputation for bathing in young female virgins' blood to retain her youth and beauty. Needless to say, the population dropped quite a bit during and just after her reign, when she was sentenced to "living death". Look her up; her story's pretty awesome. I dare someone to make a CG fanfic with that idea. I know I will- someday.

XxXxX

Omake!

Milly beamed. "And Zero really is…"

Suzaku stood up, removed his face a la Sayoko-style, and pulled off a wig, revealing Lelouch, complete with red-ringed Geassed eyes. "Hah! You never saw it coming! Now! Murder everyone who calls himself 'Japanese'! I, Lelouch vi Britannia, fifteenth Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, command it! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

And thus, the legend of the Black Prince was born. And somehow, in the annals of history, it got twisted and he became confused with Elizabeth Bathory, the Blood Countess. People in later eras wondered just what Charles di Britannia had done to his balls to get both the Massacre Princess and the Black Prince born in one generation. In any case, they never followed his form of Social Darwinism again.

Meanwhile…

"Umm," Chiba coughed quietly.

Suzaku stared at the Black Knights from behind the mask he had taken from Zero eighteen months before. "I am Zero!"

"Liar!" Tamaki screamed.

"You came in the Lancelot!" Rakshata accused.

"Your voice doesn't sound the same!" Kallen wailed.

"You're still wearing your Knight of Rounds flight uniform!" Urabe cried.

"That mask is friggin' _duct taped_ from where it broke in half!" Ohgi screamed exasperatedly.

"Welcome, Zero," Toudou said. "Did you finally see the light?"


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Is it just me or has the number of people on this site gone down? Anyways, just to clear it up, the Rai in this fic is actually an extra from the canon. He's that kid with the bowl cut and blue eyes who got killed by Rolo after about two and a half seconds of screentime. He's also the only one in the Geass Directorate who uses his Geass (on screen) before being killed off.

Summary: A year after the execution of Zero, the Japanese people are losing hope once again. The remnants of the Black Knights search for their lost leader, but are foiled by Britannia again and again. In the midst of the chaos, a masked assassin appears, using cunning and deceit to fulfill his missions. Where is Zero?

Chapter Summary: People get the shock of their lives. In more ways than one.

Disclaimer: You will be warned, so don't sue. Also, if I owned Code Geass, Lulu would be a girl. For real. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead.

Warning: Cursing, confusion. But the confusion's natural.

XxXxX

Chapter 5: Kamen- Masks

XxXxX

"Dammit, where's Kallen!" Tamaki screamed, banging his fists on the table.

"It was a mistake to send her back," Toudou admitted woodenly. "We forgot- we're up against the Empire and the Geass."

"The Geass that tramples on human free will," Chiba agreed.

"All people are a part of the collective unconscious," a new voice said. They all turned; C.C. stood in the doorway. "The Geass allows a person to exert influence over that unconscious."

"You traitor," Asahina snapped. "Where were you these eighteen months?!"

C.C. gave him a flat stare. "I was trying to find Zero."

"As in Lelouch vi Britannia?"

C.C. gave them all a flat stare. "He still needs to fulfill his pact with me, to grant my wish."

"And what wish would that be?" Ohgi asked, pushing the problem with Kallen to the back of his mind.

"To end this accumulation of experience?"

"To die?" Urabe asked, surprise written on his face.

"Is this gray, meaningless existence truly living?"

"Then die!" Tamaki screamed in fury, pulling out a gun and aiming. "You ruined everything! With Zero, with Kallen, and with everyone else!"

With a roar, the weapon discharged, spitting a slug through the center of the immortal's forehead, right between the prongs of the Geass symbol.

"What the hell is that tattoo?" Toudou asked in the ensuing silence. "And what did you just do, Tamaki? She might have a terrible personality, but now the Kallen's gone, she's one of the few good pilots on our side. Besides, she's our last link to Zero."

"Absolutely nothing," the person who should have been a corpse announced, sitting back up. "I can't die. Not like you guys. I hold the Code, which bestows immortality and allows one to give the Geass, among other things."

"And? We have no idea what you're saying."

"I'm not the only one," C.C. shrugged. "I'll explain about all this later. There is another. V.V. is the older brother to the Emperor, and probably the one who organized this."

"And you are coming to us now because?" Asoga asked skeptically. "You didn't even bother to help Kallen."

"Have you heard of the Ragnarok Junction?"

XxXxX

"The Gray Witch is probably making her move right now," V.V. said. "Why did you send Rai out?"

"Or does it not matter?" Charles di Britannia asked shrewdly.

"It does not."

"Then tell us how to move next," V.V. demanded. "After all, you should know her movements best."

"Let me out of here."

"Only once we've secured C.C," Charles di Britannia rumbled. "By then, it will be too late. Even your Geass will not work."

"Do you think your Ragnarok Junction will truly work? People lie because they have reason to. Your world will be nothing but meaningless existence."

"We have just captured your Ace," V.V. said suddenly. "Don't you wish for her well-being?"

"That was Schneizel's plan, wasn't it?"

"No, my dear, it was yours." V.V. smirked.

"It can't be! I don't remember-"

"My Geass can rewrite your memories over and over again until you become the pawn you truly are," Charles interrupted. "How many times do you think it has happened? How many times do you think it will happen again? If I can rewrite your memories to capture your Ace, what's to say I can't rewrite them so you can kill her? Or worse?"

"So you're saying it's better for me to suffer and remember than live blissfully in ignorance?"

"It won't be blissful, I promise you," the Emperor replied. "Only the strong survive. You ceased to be one of the strong the day you were caught."

There was the merest pause. "Split personalities can be so troublesome, can't they? It seems I can't be rid of that emotional baggage, even with Geass. How troublesome."

"So?" V.V. pressed.

"Rai is a decoy. The Black Knights will be thrown in confusion, and they will be caught between investigating my false lead and searching for the one person in their organization who can make a difference."

"Surely you jest?" Charles di Britannia raised an eyebrow. "No one person can be so important."

"Kouzuki Kallen is on par with or even better than your Knight of One, Lord Bismarck. The only one who can fight her on even terms now is Kururugi Suzaku."

"You're saying that Lord Kururugi will be the next Knight of One?" V.V. asked in fascination. "Not that it will matter, of course, after the Ragnarok Junction."

"Of course not. But the two of them are incredible. So either incapacitate the Ace of the Black Knights or rewrite her memories."

"Not kill her?" V.V. asked.

"Is there a need?"

"Beware of emotional baggage," Charles warned. "We'll be back."

"It's not like I can go anywhere."

XxXxX

"You're attaching the energy wing system to both the Lancelot and the Gawain?" Suzaku asked.

"The Lancelot Albion and the Gawain Mariposa," Lulu corrected absentmindedly, watching Cecile attach a pair of MVS blades parallel to the Gawain's equivalent of shins. "And it's much more advanced than the float system, is it not?"

"Are you attaching the Blaze Luminous shield system to the Gawain as well?" Lloyd asked from his position on the Lancelot Albion's shield.

"Nope," Cecile announced. "There's no need; if our Lulu is at the level of a Knight of Rounds even with an incomplete Knightmare, he doesn't need one. Besides, the mazer field structures of the energy wing system are good enough to be shields of their own. And he can dodge."

"My Knightmare is a speed freak," Lulu said, mock sadly. "My only weapons are six Slash Harkens and a pair of MVS blades when my Knightmare can't even kick to use them. I can't eject, and my safety is jeopardized by _my_ _own machine_ because its life support systems are inadequate."

"At least you keep your helmet," Cecile said absentmindedly, adding insult to injury. "And I'm adding rocket boosters to your Slash Harkens and giving them extra range. This machine _is_ called the Mariposa, you know."

"Not in the least because its devicer wears a costume reminiscent of a slut," Lloyd breathed. Luckily, Lulu didn't hear him. "Hey, Cecile, are you adding those rocket harkens to the Gawain?"

"Mine!" Cecile called.

"Lord Kururugi!" a private called, running up. "Lord- um, Lulu, you both are wanted in the briefing room, ASAP!"

"Shoo," Lloyd said, making the appropriate motions with his free hand. The other was busy drilling in a screw. "Cecile, beware about what happens with the center of gravity on that Knightmare!"

"Yes, sir!"

XxXxX

Kallen grumbled under her breath as she stared at the two Geass-users in front of her; the two of them stared back at her.

"Rolo-" the one with the terrible bowl cut started.

"Later, onii-sama," Rolo promised. "_He_ will answer all our questions later."

"Who is he?" Kallen asked as the truck she was currently incarcerated in lurched over a bump in the road.

"_He_."

"Fine, then. _He._"

"_He_ is our onii-sama!" Rolo chirped. "He has the-"

"Rolo!" Rai hissed.

"And the rest is classified!" he amended hurriedly. "This is the first time not on an assassination mission, so I'll make mistakes. Sorry."

Kallen twitched. How had she gotten kidnapped by these underaged wierdos? Oh, right, Geass. She was _definitely_ going to have a word with C.C. when she got back. If she ever found that green-haired bitch, anyways.

Rolo and Rai instinctively backed away from the angry pilot, despite the fact that they were technically the kidnappers.

"Master V.V. was right," Rolo whispered. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

"Save me," Rai meeped.

Kallen rolled her eyes this time. _'This is the worst kidnapping ever!'_

XxXxX

"-and that's the gist of it," C.C. said, finishing a slice of pizza.

The Black Knights, of course, had many more questions, but not enough pocket money to continue bribing- _paying_ for C.C.'s pizzas. So they did the smart thing; they cleared out the twenty-odd empty boxes that had accumulated, nodded their heads, and began to try processing the information.

"That would explain so much," Rakshata said thoughtfully.

"Yes," several other members, the ones who were sufficiently not in shock enough to speak, agreed.

"We are so screwed," Tamaki said mournfully. He looked lost in a world of his own.

"How do we stop the Emperor, then?" Toudou pointed out.

"Why?" C.C. asked. "Why do you want to stop him?"

"Because I don't wanna-" Tamaki began.

"We desire the future," Ohgi cut him off. "Not the past. The present, maybe, but definitely not the past. Look where Refrain got the Japanese. I'm sure Kallen and Zero would agree with us, were they here to concur."

"Zero would, but I have no idea about Kallen," C.C. said, starting on her final slice of pizza. "I can find him because of our contract, but right now he's so far away I can only tell he's not anywhere near."

"And Kallen?" Chiba asked.

"How should I know?" C.C. shrugged dismissively. "I'm not connected to anyone who doesn't have a Geass."

"Damn," Toudou grumbled. "Can you not retrieve Zero?"

"Given his heritage, would you accept him even if I did?" C.C. retorted blandly.

There was silence around the table.

"I couldn't, anyways," the immortal continued. "He's in a place that's inaccessible, even to me."

"Where?" Ohgi urged quietly.

C.C. frowned. "His location isn't exact, which means there's either something suppressing his Geass, or he's under the aegis of another immortal. Or he's not in this world."

"If Zero is dead, let him be," Chiba said. "He abandoned us during the Black Rebellion, anyways. Let's focus on the problems right now."

The door opened, and Minami ran in.

"Sorry I'm late," he apologized. "The Ikaruga's scheduled maintenance is so big, I got caught up."

"It is a lovely ship, I'm sure," C.C. shrugged. "We're still on it. Just not in the cockpit."

"It's not called 'cockpit'," Minami muttered distractedly. Outside, something crashed and exploded, and he ran off to deal with it. "It's the bridge! The Ikaruga is not a Knightmare."

As his footsteps faded off into the distance, C.C. turned to the rest of them.

"And don't ask for a Geass!"

"As if!" Chiba scoffed, the others agreeing. "It's a cursed power."

"Yes," Ohgi murmured.

XxXxX

Gino wasn't sure whether or not to be panicked.

"Anya?" he asked cautiously. "If you're joking, this is really creepy, so please stop."

'Anya' turned and stared at him, her usually dull eyes ringed with glowing red. "I'm Marianne, actually. Don't worry- Anya's fine."

"What?"

'Anya' fished out the keys to the Mordred, tsking slightly in displeasure. "Long-range bombardment- such a crude way to fight, and a waste of resources, when speed and accuracy could do much better."

"Who- who are you?" Gino clutched the key to the Tristan in his hand tightly, as if doing so would protect him from his possessed colleague.

"I'm Marianne," 'Anya' said flatly. "Umm, remember me? You were such a cute little kid, telling people you'd become a Knightmare pilot. And then, when you actually tried to pilot your first time, you blew everyone else out of the water. I was sitting in the stands then, but it's nice to know you fulfilled your dream."

"Marianne," Gino froze. "As in _the_ Marianne? Marianne the Flash? The former Knight of One?!"

'Anya' rolled her eyes. "Yes, Gino, Knight of Three. I'm 'that' Marianne. Now, let's head back to Pendragon. I need to talk to Charles about our children."

Gino gulped. "Umm, about that-"

"Nunnally's the pending Governor of Area 11 and Lelouch is officially missing, yes I know."

"So-"

'Anya' gave his a smile that was as creepy as it was sweet. "I'm not that kind of mother, Gino Weinberg. And this is an order from the Empress _and_ Knight of One."

"ThecurrentKnightofOneisLordBismarkWaldenstein," Gino finally blurted out.

'Anya' laughed. "I know. He was only the Knight of Five back in my day. I hope he doesn't mind being demoted back to the Knight of Two. But knowing him, so long as he can serve Charles, he won't mind."

"What'll you tell the world? It's not like that's your body."

'Anya' blinked. "I'll return to my body and tell the world that I was actually in an eight-and-a-half year coma. Charles and I planned this out a while ago, you know. Now move it. Lloyd didn't just install those brand-new Float Systems just for looks, you know."

Gino gulped. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Really, though, you're doing incredibly well for a man whose world has just been inverted on him."

Gino took the moment to collapse from the mental strain.

"Looks like I spoke too soon."

XxXxX

Kallen paused and looked around; they were inside the largest (and only) underground city she had ever seen, lit only by an eerie purple glow from what had to be the biggest artificial light in the world, situated directly in the center of the city and against a giant pillar the size of a small mountain. People wearing ragged gray coats, children wearing odd medical uniforms, and adults in white lab coats stared at her and her captors; she had never felt more conspicuous wearing her school uniform. "Where are we?"

"Somewhere inside the Chinese Federation's territory?" Rolo mused. "Come on, V.V.'s waiting."

"V-2?" Kallen echoed. "Like the fighter jets?"

"NO, V.V. As in 'V' and 'V'," Rolo corrected. Rai stared at her and Kallen felt herself marching along the mazelike structures of the underground city.

"Then why don't you just call him that?" she snapped as she wobbled along the streets.

After lots and lots of walking (Kallen had lost track of the distance some time after the fifth mile), they stopped in front of a pair of doors that looked very, very similar.

She gasped; she had last seen the designs on those doors a year and a half ago, when Lelouch had vanished. They had been engraved into the wall of the ruins of Kaminejima.

"What _is_ that?"

"It's a thought elevator, Karen Stadtfeld," a child's voice said from behind. "You know about the Geass, correct?"

Kallen turned; the speaker was indeed a child. He was wearing an odd white suit and a black cape lined with royal purple; pale white-blond hair trailed on the ground behind him. What caught her attention, however, were the purple eyes, exactly the same shade as Lelouch's had been.

"You're V.V." The statement came out not as a question so much as a declaration.

The child smirked. "Yes."

Kallen stared him down. "What do you want?"

V.V.'s smirk grew. "What do _you_ want?"

"Freedom, for one," Kallen sniped. "And my name is Kouzuki Kallen, not Karen Stadtfeld!"

"Manners," V.V. scolded, wagging his finger childishly. "Rolo, Rai, please leave."

"Yes, V.V.-sama."

As they left, Kallen turned back to V.V. "They're so obedient, it's like they're mind-slaves. And you know what I want."

V.V. shrugged, yawning. "Of course I do. You want to see Zero again, if only to confess your feelings for him."

Kallen stared at the child immortal, her face heating up. "What feelings?"

V.V. blinked innocently. "Oh, cute. You're blushing."

This time, Kallen didn't refrain from snapping V.V.'s neck and making a run for it.

Of course, V.V. was immortal, so by the time Rai had managed to drag her unwilling, screaming body back, he had already picked himself up off the floor.

"Since that was so rude, I think I'll wait to let you see him," V.V. scolded. As Kallen was dragged off, this time physically by at least four of his goons (V.V. couldn't help but think of them as goons, even on the best of days. They just weren't that bright.), he couldn't help but shudder as he thought of the one who had planned the entire episode.

"_He_ even predicted her responses," he whispered in a bit of awe. "As I thought, _he_'s too dangerous to let live. Rolo!"

XxXxX

Suzaku watched as V.V. strolled in. "Can I talk to Lord Kururugi, please?"

"He's here."

"In private. That means you, too."

"Even Lulu?" Suzaku questioned. He was fairly sure the other Knight was related in some way to the Geass Directorate.

"Is that what you're calling him now?" V.V. giggled, earning himself a resigned (but not dirty, Suzaku noticed) look.

"Now?"

"Of course," V.V. deadpanned, leading Suzaku into a broom closet.

"You have odd taste," the Knight of Seven muttered, sitting on an overturned bucket.

"Hey, at least they can't hear us," V.V. pointed out. "You mentioned getting a Geass earlier?"

"I changed my mind." Suzaku rose, but V.V.'s next words pushed him back down as easily as the proverbial eight hundred pound gorilla could have.

"Even if it's the only way to accomplish your goals?"

"What do you mean?" Suzaku shifted an uncomfortable mop handle digging into his back. "Don't tell me-"

V.V. smiled. "The current Knight of One has a Geass. You can't hope to defeat him without one, and no, I refuse to tell you what it is. Not only that, but there's going to be a new Knight of One in a few days, and _she_ has a Geass as well. Do you see where I'm going?"

"I'll figure out how to defeat their respective Geasses," Suzaku said dismissively.

V.V. smiled. "But not the one Zero cursed you with. What if your Geass power was the ability to negate all other Geass?"

"Is that even possible?"

"Who knows? It certainly hasn't popped up yet."

"And is that supposed to be leverage?"

V.V. shrugged and smirked. "The Geass is an end as well as a means. It's merely a tool, albeit a powerful one. With your Geass, you could do as much good to repair the damage Zero did."

"And that's why you're offering it to me? It could also do wrong; it corrupted Lelouch into a monster."

V.V. shifted on his own bucket-seat. "Then don't use the Geass I gave you- it's that simple. I only have my dearest younger brother's best interests at heart. He's still young, you know."

Suzaku choked at the thought of calling the Emperor 'young'.

"He's just balding prematurely," V.V. added, defending himself. "His hair isn't really white. That's just powder. And he doesn't have many wrinkles yet!"

"Forget I asked."

"You didn't."

"And I don't want the Geass that killed Euphie."

"No, of course not- that's Zero's Geass- but you might gain a Geass that can prevent similar tragedy in the future with, say- Nunnally. You two are close friends, yes?"

"Is that a threat?"

"Do you want a Geass?" V.V. extended his hand. "Bind the contract with me."

XxXxX

"What, did V.V. send you here to kill me? He's the type of person to be afraid of people who are more intelligent than he is."

Rolo gulped, violet eyes staring at the other person. "Umm-"

"Never mind. But tell me, are you doing this because you want to, or because you have to?"

Rolo shifted uneasily, his instincts urging him to Geass the other person and just be done with it. "What do you mean?"

"Sit. Tell me, what do you desire? Is it a future? Acknowledgement? Love? A family? To kill?"

Rolo winced at the last suggestion but did as he was told. "All I know is to kill. I even bungled up the kidnapping attempt. Wait- you knew?"

"V.V. wouldn't have sent you if it had failed. He would have been gloating in superiority. Really, he's so old, and yet he still has the mindset of a child."

"I-" His less-than-intelligent answer was cut off.

"Don't all people hope? They all desire happiness, whether in the form of success, a future, vengeance, or something else. V.V, for instance, wants you to kill me so he can be happy in knowing that someone whose mind is better than his is no longer a threat to him. Because people desire happiness, whether theirs or another's, they put on masks and hide secrets. And _that_ is why the Ragnarok Junction will not work."

"Even though you are Fenrir?" Rolo sat and listened in fascination; he could always kill this person earlier. It wasn't like the other person could escape or even Geass him.

"I am not bringing Ragnarok anywhere."

"But you're saying I desire something," Rolo pointed out.

"Of course."

Rolo shifted. "But I have to kill you first; that's what V.V.-sama told me to do." He picked his gun back up and cocked it, aiming carefully for the heart.

"And you're following his orders because you think that by fulfilling them, they can bring you happiness. What if I offered the same?"

"What?" Rolo shifted, his grip becoming slippery with nervous sweat. "You can't-"

"I can."

Rolo fired.

XxXxX

Sayoko hummed softly, putting the Guren through its paces.

"Alright," Rakshata said. "You're not as good as Kallen, but you'll do. Until we find her again, you're the new pilot of the Guren."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Now shoo. I want to upgrade my baby."

Several Black Knights in the vicinity sweatdropped. "Didn't she just do that?"

"Well, she found the blueprints for this lightweight energy-wing system-thingie when she hacked into the Britannian database. And she mentioned something about the arm."

"The radiation wave one?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Ah, I see."

"I can hear you!" Rakshata bellowed, and everyone in the vicinity made themselves scarce before they became the victims of a new product in testing or a wrench to the head.

Sayoko included.

XxXxX

"Hello to you too," Kallen said scornfully, eyeing the other person.

"You- you're that Eleven."

"And who the Hell are you?" Kallen snorted.

"Build your own Knightmare if you want to get out. This one is mine, Ace of the Black Knights."

Kallen blinked, then realized that the giant lump in the garbage heap that was the room she was imprisoned in was actually the outline of a basic Knightmare Frame. "You're kidding me."

"Then I'll help you, but only if you help me escape." The other woman stepped into the light, and Kallen froze.

"C-Cornelia?"

"That's _Princess_ Cornelia to you," the Second Princess smirked.

Kallen shifted into a defensive form, noting that the princess's left arm appeared to be nonfunctional. "You built that monster with only one arm?"

"I had a pair of legs and a brain, too." Cornelia sounded vaguely offensive. "You're at least half Britannian, aren't you?"

"I am Japanese!"

"Which side?"

"I am Kouzuki Kallen," Kallen snapped.

"Your mother was Britannian? Was she raped?"

"My dad!" Kallen screamed. "But I'm not, and I repeat, _NOT_, Karen Stadtfeld!"

Cornelia froze. "Stadtfeld? As in one of _the_ powers in Area Eleven? And you chose to be a terrorist instead? Even when you're wearing the uniform of a Britannian student?"

Kallen glared. "You wouldn't understand." She stalked to the nearest pile of scraps and began sorting for anything resembling a Knightmare's frame.

Cornelia sighed. "After Euphie's death, I think I do."

XxXxX

AN: After this, Hangyaku no Zero will be going on hold until I can smooth over the ginormous plot holes and figure out a decent outline for the story. Yes, that was the reason I was delayed. I couldn't figure out what was going to go on to create continuity. I did try to create some sense of closure, though. Kinda. Everything got warped, and this fic detailed the transition phase?

Expect a new version or an update to be up in about a month, depending of if I can salvage the current plot situation. It got too convoluted for even the author to follow, as she currently has several (many, many) different endings, all of them very, very feasible and none of them similar to each other. " (If all goes well.)

Please review and give me your opinions on this fic, its future, and any plot holes or looming plot holes you see. I'm considered intelligent, but I can't see everything. (That would require a computer, which I am (thankfully) not.)

Gomen nasai. D:


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